As Dreamworks’s deal with Netflix for exclusive shows expires (they first signed a deal with Hulu for exclusives and now seem to be given shows to them and Peacock), shows have begun to leave the service en masse. However, due to the nature of staggered contracts, many of these shows will not be leaving Netflix for at least a year, while others may have several years left on the service. What’s on Netflix did some calculations based on when the final seasons were added and came up with some removal dates for the shows -
Voltron: Legendary Defender (N Original)December 14, 2018 December 14, 2024
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (N Original)May 15, 2020 April 10, 2026
3Below: Tales of Arcadia (N Original)July 12, 2019 August 7, 2026
Wizards: Tales of Arcadia (N Original)August 7, 2020 August 7, 2026
Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia (N Original)May 25, 2018 August 7, 2026
There are plenty of other expiration dates on that list, but these are the big ones I noticed, mostly because they were attempts at franchise creation that fell completely flat. Voltron’s big-budget Amazon movie is due for a 2025 release in a best-case scenario (worst-case scenario is more Robotech-style development hell) and with the rollout of a lot of classic Voltron merchandise including the oft-mentioned Voltron beer, the plan to erase VLD from everything come the film release is well underway. Dreamworks doesn’t seem to mind, since they’re still the video distributor for DOTU on behalf of World Events Productions, their name is on the Voltron beer.
She-Ra is a similar story. The franchise is also with Amazon via Dreamworks, for a live-action show directed by one of the directors of the Watchmen TV show. Hopefully, whoever plays Hordak can chew the scenery as hard as Jeremy Irons did. It probably will air sometime in 2025-2026 best case scenario as well, just in time to see SPOP eliminated from everything (something Mattel is only too happy to facilitate given their release of classic She-Ra figures for their Masterverse brand of toys).
Trollhunters was meant to be a franchise but despite a lot of big names attached to it, it went absolutely nowhere and everyone seems to have disavowed the whole thing after the ending. So it’s just getting tossed to one side.
The internet means IP gets recycled and discarded faster and faster these days. And these are three examples of shows set to disappear from the face of the earth, to the glee of the license holders.
I don’t buy it. First because Voltes V Legacy would need to be a hit second because of the time it would take. I guess that does mean they’re happy with Toei though.
Still, Daimos? In live action?
I’d laugh if it got made before the Voltron or Gundam movies.
So Voltes V Legacy is a few weeks into its run, and while I hope for Netflix to do the right thing and get the international rights from Toei so I can watch the episodes up close, it’s a fascinating thought process to observe the criticisms and observations from a foreign perspective.
And one of the things they did in fact notice was that in a very similar manner to Voltron Legendary Defender, they have less giant robot fights and more backstory and character development. The producers were open about this, saying that the 80 episode show would have roughly 19 or 20 robot battles, coming out to around once a week. For those curious, Voltron had 7 fights in its 76 episode run.
However, the one thing people have noticed with Voltes is that the robot fights in that show are built to with much higher stakes. Because there are less fights, each one is specifically designed to be more impactful to maximize their effectiveness to the audience. When it’s not a perfect world, you have to use your resources more wisely.
So why is Voltes getting applauded for how it deals with its financial limitations while Voltron is a punchline and something that WEP wants to forget ever happened? I say it boils down to that anticipation, that buildup. If you can’t show the robots every day but every appearance of the robot feels like a big deal, the audience will respond. If you clearly ignore the robot like Voltron did in favor of Avatar style antics, the audiences will notice that too. And their reactions will be noticeable.
It’s still a fascinating comparison to see two cultures and studios remake a show from ANOTHER culture and see what they come up with.
There was one particular memory my dad recalled - it was the butterfly technique done by Big Bert, who was a martial arts master. This was Season 1, Episode 4, but I can’t find any access to the video :’)
^oh lol nvm I found it. This episode is called The Secret Skill to Catch a Butterfly. Time to watch and do some sketches!
YO THIS EPISODE IS EPIC SO BASICALLY STEVE AND BIG BERT WERE TRYING TO MASTER THE BUTTERFLY RETURN TECHNIQUE BUT IT’S SO COMPLEX THAT THEY WERE LOSING HOPE AND THE BOAZANIAN ENEMY WAS NEARING EARTH. BUT STEVE TRIED AGAIN AND THE STAKES WERE SUPER HIGH BC BIG BERT WAS GOING TO SHOOT A BULLET AND STEVE WAS GONNA TRY CATCH IT AND OML HE DID AND THIS SHOT WAS SO COOL AND IT WAS THE MEMORY THAT MY DAD SOLELY REMEMBERED AS WELL:
And then in the final battle, he imaged the enemy’s sword like a butterfly:
ALT
